Sites like RAF Scampton would be more expensive to house asylum seekers than using hotels
It follows a new report by the watchdog
A watchdog's found Government plans for asylum seeker accommodation in places like the former RAF Scampton site will cost millions of pounds MORE than using hotels
So far just two of the four major projects are open, housing around 900 migrants.
The National Audit Office says the Home Office expects to spend one point two billion pounds on housing migrants in large accommodation sites - with latest estimates suggesting they will cost 46 million MORE than using hotels overall.
Findings also show the Home Office originally estimated set-up costs at the former RAF bases would be 5 million pounds EACH but they increased to 27 million for Scampton and 49 million for Wethersfield
Home office says it's currently better value for money for the taxpayer to continue with these sites than to use hotels
On Monday it was revealed the planned number of asylum seekers due to housed at Scampton has dropped from 2 thousand to eight hundred.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office says while the figures include set up costs - it's currently better value for money for the taxpayer to continue with these sites than to use hotels.
By the end of March, the department expects to have spent at least £230 million developing four major projects - as well as Scampton there's another ex base at Wethersfield in Essex, the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset and ex-student accommodation in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
The Home Office has made progress in reducing the use of hotels for asylum accommodation but the plans have led to increased risks
Head of the National Audit Office Gareth Davies said: "The Home Office has made progress in reducing the use of hotels for asylum accommodation."
"Yet the pace at which the Government pursued its plans led to increased risks, and it now expects large sites to cost more than using hotel accommodation."
The department pursued the programme despite "repeated" assessments that it "could not be delivered as planned", Mr Davies warned as he called on the Home Office to "reflect on lessons learned from establishing its large sites programme at speed and improve co-ordination with central and local government given wider housing pressures".